I am currently prescribed Seretide. I recently heard that a cheap copy of Seretide will be available in the UK soon. I have had bad experiences before where I was given a cheap salbutmatol by my pharmacist. I am worried that the same will happen with Seretide. Does anyone know anything about Seretide copies and if they become available, will I still be able to get Seretide?

Haven't heard of this but I guess if it does happen it will be the same as salbutamol/ventolin. FInd a pharmacy that stocks the one you want as they use different suppliers and then stick with them. I will only go to my local Boots as the do ventolin inhalers and nebs. But the other day I had to go elsewhere as Boots no longer stock Kenalog.

I am sure it will be fine, if they do are they going to do an alternative flixotide and serevent too? That just sounds crazy, mind you that probably means that they will do it!

I was given a different sertide than what Im was used to, it was a different manufacter I think but the box was different but the inhaler wasn't. The thing is unless ask for the brand the pharacist can give you anything and just as you've had bad experiences with salbutamol dosn't mean you will with sertide you wont know unless you try!

I had a 'parallel import' (as apparently European imports are known) of Flixotide a while ago that was a re-labelled inhaler from overseas. Only when I looked at the canister (having been surprised by a differently-coloured cap) did I discover it was actually double my usual dose and the wrong label had been applied.

Having mentioned this to my friendly young pharmacist, I requested only UK Flixotide, which he happily ordered in for me - despite my prescription being for fluticasone and not specifically Flixotide.

I think the trick is to find an amenable pharmacist or, as already mentioned, find one that stocks the brand you're happy with.

I've been on Seretide 250 since last August ( 6 days in hospital and an ambulance trip ) and started off with Allen & Hanbury's version.

No problems or asthma attacks whilst I was on that until Decmber when I collected my prescription and was given a GlaxoSmithKilne version imported from Spain. The GSK version gradually got worse until mid-January and was giving me a tight throat & stiff neck plus had 5 asthma attacks whilst on this. It felt like I was gradually getting withdrawal symptoms. Totally ruined a holiday I had in the Canaries over Christmas and New Year with the side effects.

As soon as I went back to the Allen & Hanbury version, all the problems disappeared. It took about a month to settle back to my normal PF readings but all is now well. I've just managed to drop down to Seretide 125 in the last week.

I now go to a particular local chemist which always supplies the Allen & Hanbury version.

It is probably part of the governments drive to save money by supplying cheaper generic brands but in the long run it will cause more problems.